As I am in the very early stages of the MST program, I have yet to select a thesis laboratory or complete my laboratory rotations. However, I have identified several laboratories whose research interests parallel my own, i.e., studying the mechanisms behind and understanding the onset of neurodegeneration. One such laboratory with whom I completed a rotation this summer is embarking on a very exciting new direction in the study of neurodegenerative diseases as a function of early determination in neural stem cells rather than being an age related phenomenon. Dr. Mehler's studies are aimed at identifying which stage of development is instrumental for the commitment to the brain cell population that will undergo cell death later in life. These studies and the means for answering such revolutionary questions will encompass the latest in dissociated cell culture, molecular biology, and genetic analysis in order to identify the origins of diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinson and Huntingtons diseases. Should these experiments prove fruitful this would provide a novel approach to our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and open the gates to new treatments and screening for individuals early in life even before the onset of disease.